New development in search for street to honour Tigers legend Jack Dyer

Aisha Dow

It was never going to be an easy task to find an unnamed street in one of Melbourne’s oldest suburbs, even to honour late Tigers football legend Jack Dyer.

But Yarra council appears to have done just that – a road just two blocks from local footy oval Citizens Park and a brisk walk from the MCG.

Pending final approval from the council and the Office of Geographic Names, ''Dyer Street'' will carve its way through a brand-new apartment development, between Coppin and Griffiths streets in Richmond.

Supporters originally hoped they could name the thoroughfare ''Jack Dyer Street'', but state government bureaucrats said they could use only his surname.

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Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly said at first it was also an uphill battle to get the support of his fellow councillors, who were concerned about the disruption to residents if an existing street name was changed.

''It was like pulling teeth,'' Cr Jolly said.

But after a successful campaign spearheaded by Richmond local Suzana Talevski, council voted to support an entirely new street being named in Dyer’s memory.

''Nobody deserves it more,'' Ms Talevski said. ''He lived and breathed Richmond – not just Richmond the football club, but also the suburb.''

Dyer, nicknamed ''Captain Blood'', played, captained and coached for Richmond in a football career that began in the Great Depression and spanned more than 20 years.

The ruckman also went on to become a well-known media personality, and spent time as a police officer, publican and milk bar owner in Richmond. He died in 2003, just short of his 90th birthday.

Yarra mayor Jackie Fristacky said it was ''fortuitous'' that a street had recently become available to honour the community hero.

''Most of the streets are obviously named dating back to the 1850s, but we managed to find a new development.''

The new ''premier'' apartment precinct was, until recently, an industrial block, the long-term home of Jacques Engineering, which produced rock crushers for quarries.

Along with a new street sign, a historical marker will provide information about a football star who played so long ago that he was part of two Richmond premierships.

Ms Talevski joked that she would be buying an extra TattsLotto ticket or two in an attempt to secure her own home on Richmond’s newest street.

''I would think the developers would be rubbing their hands. Who wouldn’t want to live in number 17 Dyer Street?''